A Friend From The Bookstore
by Marymel
Summary: Greg introduces Jackson to an old friend of his that he meets at the bookstore.


**Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.**

**I don't own Curious George either, but it was always my nephew's favorite character when he was little, so I thought it would be cool to make it one of Jackson's favorites as well.**

**Since there's no new CSI tonight and I'm snowed in, I thought it might be cool to post a new Jackson story :)**

**And I don't know why Mia left the lab after season five, but I came up with an idea I thought was pretty cool. **

**Lil Badger 101, this one's for you, since you suggested maybe Jackson should meet Mia! I wondered how Jackson might meet his daddy's former co-worker, and this is what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy it. And please review!**

Jackson Sanders loved going to the bookstore with his father Greg. He was beginning to recognize letters and numbers, and really loved it when his father read to him, especially books with his favorite characters. So one Sunday afternoon, Greg and Jackson were in the book store looking for some books.

"Daddy, do you like Curious George?" Jackson asked as he looked at the many books in the children's section of the store.

"Sure," Greg said. "I always loved those books when I was your age." He and Jackson picked out a Curious George book and Greg crouched down next to Jackson so they could look through it. "Daddy, Curious George is funny!" Jackson said as he and Greg looked at the book.

Greg laughed softly. He loved how Jackson enjoyed reading with him and never tired of learning.

"What's that big word?" Greg asked as he and Jackson read together.

Jackson sounded out the word 'curious'. "George was always very curious," Jackson read. "I read, daddy!"

"Yes, you read, Jacks." Greg smiled at his son. "I'm proud of you."

"Greg?" A familiar voice came from the end of the aisle.

Greg looked up and saw a familiar face. "Mia?"

Mia laughed softly. "I thought I heard your voice over here. How's it going?"

"Great," Greg answered. "I'm a level three CSI now." Greg stood up and walked over to his former co-worker, Mia Dickerson. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm in town for a friend's wedding. Thought I'd come by and do a little shopping."

"Not going to eat any wedding cake?" Greg asked. He remembered Mia mentioning she never ate birthday cake.

Mia rolled her eyes and smiled. "I told her I might make an exception, but..." she and Greg both chuckled.

Jackson walked over to the two of them and tugged on Greg's belt. He looked up at Mia shyly.

Mia smiled when she saw the little red-haired boy who looked so much like Greg. "Hello, sweetie," she said to him. Jackson smiled.

"It's okay," Greg reassured his son. "Mia, this is my son, Jackson."

"Well, I kind of figured," Mia said, smiling at Greg. "He looks just like you."

Greg smiled and thanked Mia. Looking at his son, he said, "Jacks, I want you to meet Mia Dickerson. She used to work with me and your Aunt Sara and Uncle Nick at the lab."

"You did?" Jackson asked.

"Uh-huh. In fact, I started working at the lab when your dad got out in the field."

"Yeah," Greg said. "She worked at the lab when I first started working cases with your Uncle Nick and Aunt Sara."

"Oh, cool," Jackson said. He looked up at his father's former co-worker. "Are you a scientist?"

"Yes, I am," Mia said. "I work at the crime lab in San Francisco."

"Yeah, how's that going?" Greg asked.

"Great," Mia said. She and Greg had grown to be friends when she became the DNA tech when he first became a CSI, and Mia still kept in touch with him, Nick and Sara. "Really, everything has been so great. I work with so many great people, and I have met the greatest guy." Mia smiled.

"That's great," Greg said. "You said your boyfriend's a lawyer?"

"Family lawyer, yeah." Mia took a picture out of her wallet to show Greg. "We just celebrated our first anniversary."

"Wonderful," Greg said.

"And I hear congratulations are in order for you," Mia said. "Sara told me you're engaged."

Greg smiled. "Yeah, to the boss' daughter."

Mia laughed softly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, Ecklie's daughter. Her name's Morgan, and she's amazing, beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, adorable..."

"She's my mama!" Jackson proudly said.

Mia smiled at the sweet little boy. "That's so great!" In a softer voice, she told Greg, "Hodges told me you had a little boy, and his mom used to work with you."

"Yeah," Greg said with a nod. "Long story short, she couldn't raise him, so she gave him to me."

Mia smiled at the father and son. "That's so great."

"Thank you," Greg said. He lifted Jackson into his arms. "Yeah, he is the coolest gift I ever got."

Mia smiled as she watched Greg kiss his giggling son's cheek. "That is so great, really." She smiled at the sweet little boy holding a Curious George book. "You are a very handsome guy."

"Thank you," Jackson said softly. "Do you like Curious George?"

"Yeah, he's funny, isn't he?" Mia asked.

Jackson smiled. "Yeah! My daddy an' me, we read a book where he had to go to da hospital. But he was okay."

"Oh, that's good," Mia said. "Do you like when your daddy reads to you?"

"Yeah!" Jackson said. He was starting to like his daddy's friend. "Yeah, an' he colors wif me too!"

"He does?" Mia asked. "Oh, what a good daddy!"

Jackson wrapped his arms around Greg. "He's da bestest!"

"Oh, thank you!" Greg said as Jackson tightened his arms around him.

Mia couldn't help but smile and softly laugh at her former colleague. She remembered him as the newbie CSI with the crazy hair, and now he was a competent CSI and a dad.

"He's wonderful," Mia told Greg. "Really. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Greg said. "Look, if you have some time, why don't you come by the lab? I'm sure Nick, Sara, Hodges, and everyone would like to see you."

"I just might do that," Mia said. "I know Sara told me she left for a while and came back, and then Warrick..."

Greg sighed. "Yeah, that was a hard time." He looked at the sweet little boy in his arms. "But I did meet this little guy's mommy, so some good did come out of that."

"My mommy leabed me here," Jackson said. "But I got my daddy an' mama." Greg smiled at his son.

"And you've got a great daddy and mama, right?" Mia asked Jackson. He smiled and nodded. "That's awesome. And you are a sweet little boy."

Jackson giggled. "Thank you. An' you pretty."

"Thank you, sir," Mia said with a smile. "Well, I gotta get going, but can I come by the lab tomorrow?"

"Sure," Greg said. "I'll be there tomorrow afternoon, and Nick and Sara should be there too. And you can meet Morgan."

"She's my mama!" Jackson said. "I love her an' my daddy!"

Mia laughed softly. "That is so wonderful." Looking at Greg, she said, "I'll see you tomorrow, then. It was so great seeing you again."

"You too," Greg said.

Mia smiled at Jackson. "And it was really great meeting you."

Jackson smiled. "Thank you."

Mia and Greg said goodbye and Greg set Jackson down so they could go pay for their book.

"Daddy, she was nice," Jackson said.

"Yeah, she was really cool to work with," Greg said.

"Why'd she go?"

"She got another job, so she left and then Wendy came to work with us. You remember meeting her a few months ago?"

"Oh, yeah," Jackson said. "So why can't Mia come to work wif you now?"

"Because she has a job in California," Greg explained. "And if she came back, then your Uncle Henry wouldn't have a job, because she worked in the job Uncle Henry has."

"Oh," Jackson said. He liked his Uncle Henry and all of his aunts and uncles at the lab.

The next day, Mia came to the lab and enjoyed visiting with Nick, Sara, and everyone. She really enjoyed meeting Russell and Finn, and loved seeing old friends.

Greg and Morgan arrived with Jackson and found their friends visiting with Mia in the break room.

Mia looked up and smiled when she saw Greg and his family. "Oh, hey!"

"Hey, Mia," Greg said as he hugged her. Turning to Morgan, he said, "This is the soon to be Mrs. Sanders."

Before she could shake Mia's hand, Jackson stepped in front of Morgan. "Dis is my mama!"

Everyone laughed softly. "Hi, you must be Morgan," Mia said.

Morgan shook Mia's hand and smiled. "Yeah, hi. Great to meet you."

Jackson looked up at Mia. "Did you get a Curious George book at da bookstore?"

"No, but I think I might have something..." she motioned to her purse which Sara handed her. Mia reached in and pulled out a little stuffed Curious George toy.

Jackson's eyes lit up and he smiled when he saw the toy. "You have a Curious George?"

Mia laughed. "No, he's for you."

Jackson happily grabbed the toy. "Thank you! He my favorite!"

"Oh, I'm glad you like him," Mia said with a smile.

Jackson hugged the toy and wrapped his arms around Mia. "Thank you!"

"You're very welcome, sweetie."

Jackson happily showed Greg his new toy. "Daddy, dis is George!"

"I see that," Greg said with a smile. He looked up at Mia. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad he loves it."

"Yeah!" Jackson said. "An' he's a good little monkey, an' always very curious!"

Greg smiled at his son. "Just like you."

Jackson giggled. "He da bestest!"

"Do you think he'd like to read your new book with you?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah!" Jackson looked up at Mia. "Do you want to read my new book wif me?"

"Oh, I'd love to," Mia said. "But I gotta go meet some friends for coffee. But I'll send you some more Curious George books you all can read together, okay?"

"Yeah! I like you!"

"You do?" Mia asked.

"You love Curious George, jus' like me!"

Mia laughed. "Thank you."

Everyone enjoyed visiting with Mia and catching up, and she loved seeing Jackson again. As much as she loved her job in San Francisco, she missed her friends and co-workers in Vegas and loved seeing them again. She promised to keep in touch with Russell, Finn and Morgan.

As she was leaving, Jackson hugged her again. "You come back?"

"You know, I just might come back sometime. I gotta head back to work, but I promise I'll e-mail your dad soon. And he's promised to send me tons of pictures of you."

Jackson smiled. "An' I send you some Curious George books."

"You will?" Mia asked the sweet little boy.

"Uh-huh, an' I read my books wif George! He's gunna love 'em!"

Mia smiled. "I'll bet he will." Giving the little boy a hug, she said, "You be good to your daddy, okay?"

"Okay," Jackson happily agreed. "An' you do a good job, like my Uncle Henry!"

Mia laughed. "I know. He's got the job I used to have here. How cool is that?"

"Very!" Jackson said with a big smile.

Mia said goodbye to Greg and left. Greg lifted Jackson into his arms as they headed towards the break room.

"Daddy, can she come back soon?" Jackson asked. "I like her."

Greg smiled. "Hopefully she can come back. I miss her, too. She was a good scientist."

"Jus' like you!" Jackson said.

Greg smiled and kissed Jackson's cheek. "Thank you."

"You welcome, an' she loves Curious George, too!"

"That's the best part, huh?"

Jackson smiled and nodded. "Yep!"

**The End.**


End file.
